Pole or thill coupling.



Ni *rnrns ROBERT F. OORNEIL, OF PHILLIPSBURG, MONTANA, ASSIQNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN R. LUCAS AND HENRY REHFELDT, OF SAME PLACE.

POLE OR THILL COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 635,428, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed August 9, 1899.

T0 ztZZ whom it ntoty concern:

Be it known that '1, ROBERT F. COBNEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phillipsburg, in the county of Granite and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pole or Thill Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a pole or thill coupling whereby the usual coupling pin or bolt may be dispensed with and combining with the coupling an antirattler, the complete device possessing increased durability and effectiveness in attaching or detaching the thill or pole from its coupling, said objects being attained by the construction substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

Figure l of the drawings is a sectional elevation of a thill-coupling constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the under side of the end of the thilliron; Fig. 4, a detail perspective view of the coupling-head; Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of the antirattler-spring.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the usual clip, provided with the coupling-head B, said clip being of the usual construct-ion, with screw-threaded bolts a to receive the clamping-plate b and nuts 0 for securing the clip and coupling-head to the axle. The coupling-head B has a segmental groove 01 to receive a lug or pin e upon the exterior of a short journal 0, said groove extending along the side wall of the opening f in the coupling-head. The groove (1 and pin orlug 6 hold the journal C from moving endwise or laterally and also form a guide for the journal when moving on its axis.

The thill-coupling D engages a slot gin the journal (J, said thill-iron having a transverse bar h with flat sides to correspond with the sides of the slot g.

The inner extremity of the guide-groove d has a shoulder 2' at its inner extremity to form a stop in limiting the movement of the journal C, so that when the thill is raised and Serial No. 726,640. (No model.)

forced back until the stop 6 abuts against the shoulder i the slot 9 in the journal 0 will be on line with the opening f in the couplinghead B, thus admitting of the bar h -of the thill-iron being disconnected from the journal and removed from the coupling-head.

The thill-iron D has connected to it a spring E of any suitable construction, which spring has a tooth 7a to engage the double guidegrooves Z m. The upper extremity of the groove Z terminates in a socket 0, with which engages the tooth 7c, and when in this socket the thill will be held up out of the way, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These grooves communicate or connect .with each other at both their upper and lower ends, and when the thill is to be lowered for use the thill is turned slightly back from the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings or in the direction of the arrow until the tooth 7i) rides out of the groove Z and into the groove 1%, when the thill may be lowered to position.

When it is desired to raise or elevate the thill either to disconnect the parts or to keep the thill up and out of the way when not in use, the thill is lowered until the tooth 70 passes the extremity of the groove m at the lower end thereof and enters the groove Z, after which the thill may be elevated to the position required to disengage the same from the coupling-or to hold it in an elevated position by the tooth engaging the socket o.

The spring E, with its tooth 76, not alone provides means for holding the thill in an ele- 8 5 vated position, but forms an antirattler for the coupling.

The spring E may be connected to the thilliron in any suitable manner, either by bolt '21 and nut p, as shown, or by any other preferred 0 means.

Any suitable spring may be employed that will render the tooth 7r; spring-actuated to hold it in the grooves with a yielding action and enable it to change from one groove to the other, as hereinbefore described, and any changes that would come within ordinary mechanical skill may be made without depart= ing from my invention.

In order to provide an antirattler for the mo coupling, a fiat curved spring G, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, is used. This spring is located in the slot g of the journal 0 and between the base or bottom of the slot and the bar h of the thill-iron D and provides a very simple and effective means to prevent rattling of the thill-iron.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pole or thill coupling consisting of a coupling-head provided with a suitable clip, guide-grooves upon the exterior of the coupling-head which communicate with each other at both upper and lower ends, one of said grooves at its upper end terminating in a socket, and a pole or thill iron adapted to engage the coupling-head and provided with a spring-actuated tooth to engage the grooves and socket, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A pole or thill'coupling, comprising a suitable clip, a coupling-head thereon having a segmental groove and upon its exterior double guide-grooves which communicate with each otherat both their upper and lower ends, one of said grooves terminating in a socket, a thill-iron, a spring-actuated tooth thereon adapted to engage the double guide-grooves and socket, a journal with pin or lug enga ing the segmental groove, and a spring to prevent the rattling of the thill-iron, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT F. CORNEIL.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK E. BONCE, E. F. GILBERT. 

